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THE EDUCATION, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry will seek Malaysia’s support for its proposal for UNESCO world heritage status for the Spice Route.
The ministry’s director of cultural development and utilization, Irini Dewi Wanti, said that her side will seek support through a cultural cruise program entitled the “Cultural Goodwill of the Spice Route” (MBJR), with Malacca, Malaysia, as one of the route destinations.
“A meeting will be held between Indonesia and Malaysia in Malacca by raising the issue of shared cultural heritage to strengthen the friendship between the two countries,” she informed at the Military Sealift Command pier here recently.
She said that through the meeting, her side will gather support for the proposal for getting the Spice Route recognized as a UNESCO world heritage. Since 2016, the ministry has actively held discussions on UNESCO world heritage status for the Spice Route.
In 2020, the efforts were intensified with the implementation of the Spice Route Cultural Caravan voyage on the Arka Kinari ship. The program took participants to explore the spice trade route from Sorong, Banda Neira, Selayar Islands, Makassar, to Bali.
It was followed by the “Nusantara Spice Land Festival,” which was held at 13 points. including Banda Neira, North Maluku, Makassar, Banjarmasin, Belawan, Bintan Island, and Lhokseumawe, Aceh, in 2021.
In 2022 and 2023, the ministry held MBJR on state warship KRI Dewaruci, which traversed Surabaya-Makassar-Baubau and Buton-Ternate, and Tidore-Banda Neira-Kupang routes.
The 2024 MBJR, which will be held from June 7–July 17, will have seven stop points, namely East Belitung, Dumai, Sabang, Malacca, Tanjung Uban, Lampung, and Jakarta.
“This program not only promotes Indonesia’s richness in culture but also cultural diplomacy because this is the first time that MBJR will go to a neighboring country, which is Malacca, Malaysia,” Wanti concluded [antaranews]
